1 John · Bible in Basic English
1 John 4 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 My loved ones, do not put your faith in every spirit, but put them to the test, to see if they are from God: because a great number of false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 Ἀγαπητοί, μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα εἰ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
2 By this you may have knowledge of the Spirit of God: every spirit which says that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
2 ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκετε τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ· πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι·
3 And every spirit which does not say this is not from God: this is the spirit of Antichrist, of which you have had word; and it is in the world even now.
3 and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
3 καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ μὴ ὁμολογεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστι· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου ὃ ἀκηκόατε ὅτι ἔρχεται, καὶ νῦν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστὶν ἤδη.
4 You are of God, my little children, and you have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
4 Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστε, τεκνία, καὶ νενικήκατε αὐτούς, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν ἢ ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.
5 They are of the world, so their talk is the world's talk, and the world gives ear to them.
5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
5 αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἰσί· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσι καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει.
6 We are of God: he who has the knowledge of God gives ear to us; he who is not of God does not give ear to us. By this we may see which is the true spirit, and which is the spirit of error.
6 We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
6 ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσμεν· ὁ γινώσκων τὸν Θεὸν ἀκούει ἡμῶν. ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν. ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης.
7 My loved ones, let us have love for one another: because love is of God, and everyone who has love is a child of God and has knowledge of God.
7 Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
7 Ἀγαπητοί, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν Θεόν.
8 He who has no love has no knowledge of God, because God is love.
8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.
8 ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν Θεόν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.
9 And the love of God was made clear to us when he sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him.
9 ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα ζήσωμεν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ.
10 And this is love, not that we had love for God, but that he had love for us, and sent his Son to be an offering for our sins.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
10 ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήσαμεν τὸν Θεόν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἱλασμὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.
11 My loved ones, if God had such love for us, it is right for us to have love for one another.
11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
11 Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.
12 No man has ever seen God: if we have love for one another, God is in us and his love is made complete in us:
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
12 Θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται· ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ τετελειωμένη ἐστὶν ἐν ἡμῖν.
13 And his Spirit which he has given us is the witness that we are in him and he is in us.
13 By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
13 ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν.
14 And we have seen and give witness that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
14 Καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκε τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου.
15 Everyone who says openly that Jesus is the Son of God, has God in him and is in God.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
15 ὃς ἂν ὁμολογήσῃ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ Θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Θεῷ.
16 And we have seen and had faith in the love which God has for us. God is love, and everyone who has love is in God, and God is in him.
16 We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
16 καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. Ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστί, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ μένει καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ.
17 In this way love is made complete in us, so that we may be without fear on the day of judging, because as he is, so are we in this world.
17 In this, love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world.
17 Ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστι, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ.
18 There is no fear in love: true love has no room for fear, because where fear is, there is pain; and he who is not free from fear is not complete in love.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
18 φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον, ὅτι ὁ φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει, ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος οὐ τετελείωται ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.
19 We have the power of loving, because he first had love for us.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
19 Ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν αὐτόν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.
20 If a man says, I have love for God, and has hate for his brother, his words are false: for how is the man who has no love for his brother whom he has seen, able to have love for God whom he has not seen?
20 If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
20 ἐάν τις εἴπῃ ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν Θεόν, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῇ, ψεύστης ἐστίν· ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὃν ἑώρακε, τὸν Θεὸν ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακε πῶς δύναται ἀγαπᾶν;
21 And this is the word which we have from him, that he who has love for God is to have the same love for his brother.
21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
21 καὶ ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔχομεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Timothy 4:1; Proverbs 14:15; 2 John 7
- 2 John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 4:3
- 3 1 John 2:22; 2 John 7; 1 John 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8
- 4 Romans 8:31; 1 John 5:4; Romans 8:37; 1 John 4:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12
- 5 John 8:23; 2 Peter 2:2–3; John 17:14; John 3:31; John 17:16
- 6 John 14:17; John 10:27; 1 Corinthians 2:12–14; John 15:26; 1 John 4:1
- 7 1 John 4:20–5:1; 1 John 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 2:10; Galatians 5:22
- 8 1 John 4:16; 1 John 4:7; Psalm 86:15; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Psalm 86:5
- 9 John 3:16; 1 John 5:11; Romans 8:32; 1 John 4:10; John 6:57
- 10 Ephesians 2:4–5; Romans 5:8–10; 1 John 4:19; 1 John 2:2; John 15:16
- 11 John 15:12–13; Colossians 3:13; John 13:34; 1 John 3:23; Luke 10:37
- 12 John 1:18; 1 John 2:5; 1 John 4:17–18; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 4:20
- 13 1 John 3:24; Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Corinthians 3:16–17; Galatians 5:22–25; 1 Corinthians 2:12
- 14 1 John 4:10; John 3:16–17; John 4:42; John 1:14; John 1:29
- 15 Romans 10:9; Matthew 10:32; 1 John 5:5; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:2
- 16 1 John 3:24; Psalm 36:7–9; 1 John 3:1; Psalm 18:1–3; 1 John 4:8–10
- 17 1 John 4:12; 1 John 2:28; Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:3; 1 John 2:5
- 18 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:15; 1 John 4:12; Luke 1:74–75; Hebrews 12:28
- 19 1 John 4:10; John 3:16; John 15:16; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Titus 3:3–5
- 20 1 John 3:17; 1 John 2:9; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:11
- 21 Matthew 22:37–39; Leviticus 19:18; 1 John 3:11; Galatians 5:14; 1 Peter 3:8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
So is this world to all the faithful seeking their own country, as was the desert to the people Israel. They wandered indeed as yet, and were seeking their own country: but with God for their guide they could not wander astray. Their way was God's bidding.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
"For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist;" and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan.
For that fear of which the Apostle John says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love," --that fear is not of the same kind as the Apostle Paul felt lest the Corinthians should be seduced by the subtlety of the serpent; for …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… to the soldiers, fear not, but to you; as for them, let them be afraid, that, taught by experience, they may bear witness and say, Truly this was the Son of God; but you ought not to be afraid, for perfect love casteth out fear.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
They fear God, indeed, but it is with that servile fear "which is not in love; for perfect love casteth out fear." Therefore to them that hope in Him He perfecteth His sweetness, inspiring them with His own love, so that with a holy fear, which love does not cast out, but which endureth for ever, they may, when they …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)